1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-intake structure around a front grille for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of air-intake structures have been put into practice in which a running air taken through a front grille at the front part of a vehicle is inducted to an engine air cleaner through an intake air duct, and for example, an “Air-intake structure for an intake air duct for a vehicle” is known in JP-A-5-34019U (hereinafter, referred to as “prior art”).
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the prior art is constructed such that a shroud upper 103 as a cross member is provided at a front part of a vehicle body, a radiator 104 is disposed under the shroud upper 103, a transversely elongated horizontal seal board 105 is disposed just in front of the shroud upper 103, and an air-intake port 110 for an air-intake dust 109 for an engine is disposed just behind the shroud upper 103.
The seal board 105 is a member divided into two left and right units such as a seal board right-hand division unit 105A and a seal board left-hand division unit 105B, and end portions of the respective seal board right-hand division unit 105A and seal board left-hand division unit 105B are overlapped vertically at a transverse center of the body so that a gap formed between the vertically overlapped portions of the units can serve as an air passage 122.
An air flow (running air) taken through a grille portion which covers a front of the radiator 104 passes below the seal board 105, is redirected upwardly of the seal board 105 from left and right sides of the seal board 105 and the air passage 122 and flows from the air-intake port 110 to the air-induction duct 109. According to the prior art, an amount of air to be supplied to the engine can thus be secured and foreign matters such as water drips and dust which are mixed in the air flow can thus be separated from the air flow.
In the prior art, however, since the seal board right-hand division unit 105A and the seal board left-hand division unit 105B are constructed to be vertically overlapped at the end portions thereof, the number of components is increased and the structure becomes complicated.